Protected credentials for roaming biometric login profiles

Abstract

In a system of networked IHSs (Information Handling Systems) supporting the use of roaming biometric profiles, an individual may utilize biometric authentication for gaining access to various IHSs within the system. An IHS configured to support roaming biometric authentication includes biometric sensors that support secure transmission and management of biometric prints collected by such sensors. Such biometric sensors may interoperate with a secure processing component of the IHS in order to prevent transmission and storage of unprotected biometric prints, while still supporting roaming biometric authentication. The biometric sensor utilizes an encryption key for encoding biometric prints where the key is selected based on a group affiliation of the individual, thus protecting biometric prints from other groups that use roaming biometric authentication while sharing the same network of IHSs.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for roaming biometric authentication of users requesting access to an Information Handling System (IHS) or a resource available via the IHS, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to collect a biometric print for authentication of a user of the IHS; 
 retrieving, by a logic unit of a biometric sensor of the IHS, a biometric key associated with a group affiliation of the user, wherein the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user is retrieved from a secure storage of a secure processor of the IHS; 
 upon retrieving the biometric key, collecting, by the biometric sensor of the IHS, the biometric print from the user; 
 encrypting, by instructions executed by the logic unit of the biometric sensor, the collected biometric print using the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user, wherein the collected biometric print is encrypted by the biometric sensor without transmitting the collected biometric print to any other component of the IHS; and 
 transmitting the biometric print encrypted by the logic unit of the biometric sensor to an authentication system for matching the biometric print against a library of stored biometric templates, wherein the authentication system operates within a secure execution environment of the secure processor, and wherein the authentication system attempts to match the biometric print against a library of locally stored biometric templates and wherein the authentication system transmits the encrypted biometric print to a remote authentication service when the biometric print cannot be matched locally. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising signaling, based on the instructions executed by the logic unit of the biometric sensor, an indication that the biometric sensor is ready to collect the biometric print of the user. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the indication signaled by the biometric sensor comprises illumination of an indicator light. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor is coupled to the secure processor via an out-of-band signal pathway that is not accessible via the operating system of the IHS, and wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor transmits the encrypted biometric print to the secure processor via the out-of-band signal pathway. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein instructions utilized by the logic unit of the biometric sensor comprise firmware instructions that are authenticated upon initialization of the biometric sensor. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the firmware instructions of the biometric sensor are authenticated based on a reference signature for the firmware instructions generated during assembly of the IHS. 
     
     
       7. An Information Handling System (IHS) supporting roaming biometric authentication of users of the IHS resource available via the IHS, the IHS comprising:
 a biometric sensor comprising a logic unit and a secured memory, wherein the biometric sensor is operable for collecting biometric prints, and wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor is configured to:
 receive a request for the biometric sensor to collect a biometric print for authentication of a user of the IHS; 
 retrieve a biometric key associated with a group affiliation of the user, wherein the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user is retrieved from a secure storage of a secure processor of the IHS; 
 upon the biometric sensor retrieving the biometric key, collect the biometric print from the user; 
 encrypt the collected biometric print using the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user, wherein the collected biometric print is encrypted by the biometric sensor without transmitting the collected biometric print to any other component of the IHS; and 
 transmit the encrypted biometric print to an authentication system; and 
 
 the authentication system configured to:
 decrypt the biometric print received from the biometric sensor; and 
 match the biometric print against a library of stored biometric templates, wherein the authentication system operates within a secure execution environment of the secure processor, and wherein the authentication system attempts to match the biometric print against a library of locally stored biometric templates and wherein the authentication system transmits the encrypted biometric print to a remote authentication service when the biometric print cannot be matched locally. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The IHS of  claim 7 , wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor is further configured to signal an indication that the biometric sensor is ready to collect the biometric print of the user. 
     
     
       9. The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the indication signaled by the biometric sensor comprises illumination of an indicator light. 
     
     
       10. The IHS of  claim 8 , wherein the biometric sensor is coupled to the secure processor via an out-of-band signal pathway that is not accessible via the operating system of the IHS, and wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor transmits the encrypted biometric print to the secure processor via the out-of-band signal pathway. 
     
     
       11. The IHS of  claim 7 , wherein instructions utilized by the logic unit of biometric sensor comprise firmware instructions that are authenticated upon initialization of the biometric sensor based on a reference signature for the firmware instructions generated during assembly of IHS. 
     
     
       12. A system for roaming biometric authentication, the system comprising:
 a plurality of Information Handling Systems (IHSs) operable for providing biometric authentication of a plurality of users of the system, wherein each IHS comprises:
 a biometric sensor comprising a logic unit and a secured memory, wherein the biometric sensor is operable for collecting biometric prints, and wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor is configured to:
 receive a request for the biometric sensor to collect a biometric print for authentication of a user; 
 retrieve a biometric key associated with a group affiliation of the user, wherein the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user is retrieved from a secure storage of a secure processor of a respective IHS; 
 upon the biometric sensor retrieving the biometric key, collect the biometric print from the user; 
 encrypt the collected biometric print using the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user, wherein the collected biometric print is encrypted by the biometric sensor without transmitting the collected biometric print to any other component of the IHS; and 
 transmit the encrypted biometric print to an authentication system; and 
 
 a secure processor, wherein the authentication system operates within a secure execution environment of the secure processor and wherein the authentication system is configured to:
 decrypt the biometric print received from the biometric sensor; and 
 match the biometric print against a library of stored biometric templates, wherein the authentication system attempts to match the biometric print against a library of locally stored biometric templates and wherein the authentication system transmits the encrypted biometric print to a remote authentication service when the biometric print cannot be matched locally. 
 
 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the logic unit of the biometric sensor is further configured to signal an indication that the biometric sensor is ready to collect the biometric print of the user. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the indication signaled by the biometric sensor comprises illumination of an indicator light. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the biometric key associated with the group affiliation of the user is retrieved from a secure storage of a secure processor of the IHS, and wherein the biometric sensor is coupled to the secure processor via an out-of-band signal pathway that is not accessible via the operating system of an IHS.